I'm still here
by ALCzysz17
Summary: Tenten is sick and tired of Lee confessing his love to Sakura when she doesn't even want him...Tenten doesn't care anymore, if he doesn't want her then she should leave...


**Well...what ta say...hehhehe..well I love Gaara/Sakura, Kankuro/Tenten, and my third favorite Lee/Tenten...well so far I have two stories started for the first two...and I will start a story for Lee and Tenten but for now...a oneshot...yay...it will be sad in the beginning...but here ya go...**

**I don't own Naruto... but ya know if I did...Sakura would either fall for Gaara or give Lee a chance...or Kankuro would fall for Tenten...or Tenten would be with Lee...doesn't matter to me I love these pairings...oh and Tenten, Gaara, and Kankuro would be in the anime/manga more...**

**I'm still here**

Tenten walked away from Neji after their little fight. Nothing major just practicing with each other. Lee was busy telling Sakura how much he cared for her and loved her. All of it made Tenten sick to her stomach. In the beginning when she meant Lee she thought he was weird and strange, but now that she knew him for so long. She grew to care for him more than just a friend. At first it was Neji. Or at least she thought it was Neji, but he never talked to her much aside from missions and didn't seem to care for her at all. Tenten just fell for the bad boys was all.

Now that she knew that wasn't what she wanted she could finally think of Neji as a friend. But then there was Lee. The happy-go-lucky Lee who train till his death basically and he was there this whole time and she now was just noticing it. Lee was different from everyone else because he tried hard at being the best, at doing the greatest. His confidence encouraged her to do better, to be better. Tenten remembered that it was Lee who caught her when Temari beat her up. It was Lee always giving her a good guy pose. It was Lee who helped her up when she fell. And now, now it was too late. She could never have him, not with Sakura there.

Tenten sighed to herself. She walked down the street as the sun began setting. Her thoughts always went to Lee when she was alone. His smile, his body, his hair, and his personality. She absolutely loved everything about him. Though she was pretty glad that after 3 years of the bowl cut he decided to go back to his old hair style. He looked even cuter now than he did those years ago. It had been 3 years since the chunnin exams. 3 years since he met Sakura. 3 years is all it took for her to notice him. 3 years too late.

Tenten went past the ramen stand where you could always find a boy named Naruto, but today he wasn't there. Instead it was none other than Sakura and Lee eating together. Tenten knew Sakura didn't like Lee like that but was just being nice and polite, yet it still hurt Tenten when she saw how Lee smiled at Sakura and winked playfully. She felt a pang in her heart and a strange tingle feeling in the pits of her hands. She closed them tightly and felt her eyes fill with tears. Tenten looked at how Lee talked to Sakura. He throw a fist in the air apparently telling her about his dream once more.

Tenten watched closely as Sakura held a hand to her mouth and laughed. How she said 'Lee!' and playfully hit him in the arm. Tenten suddenly felt the tears in her eyes fall to her cheeks and roll down her chin. Tenten felt so pathetic and lonely. She saw the way Lee smiled at Sakura and realized that he never smiled that way to her. It hurt so much to know that he would never care for her like that, never ever. Tenten quickly ran off. She didn't care anymore. If she couldn't be with Lee then that means she can't be with on the same team with Lee.

Tenten ran to her home. It was empty as usual. That never changed, her parents were always away. She felt like they never cared. Tenten ran to her room and grabbed a pack. She didn't care anymore. She packed the pack with weapons, scrolls, and clothes. She went to her stash where she kept her money. About 600 dollars was there and she stuffed it into her pack. Tenten then grabbed a piece of paper where she quickly wrote down a note saying that she was leaving. That she wasn't needed anymore. Tenten put it on her desk and took one last look at her room, before jumping out the window and out into the woods. Leaving Konoha for good...

Lee was outside early the next day working hard at his stump. He felt so much stronger knowing he had people he cared for there for him who cared for him also. Lee thought about his life. He thought of Neji who was somewhat a friend. Gai who was his role-model and greatest sensei. Sakura who he fell for by one look and how she now would talk to him and be nice to him. Naruto who made him want to do some much better. Then there was Tenten. He never really thought much about her. She didn't really like him when they were assigned on the same team.

She told him to give up when he couldn't beat Neji, yet it did the opposite, it made him want to do better to not only prove Neji wrong but her as well. Yet during the last year or so she had become nice and talked to him more. She trained with him more and told him he could do great. Lee thought it was strange that over 3 years could change her thoughts about him and want to help him become better. He felt happy that she would do this for him. He always thought of Tenten as his friend but now it was growing slightly. He was starting to like her just as much as Sakura. Lee always thought Sakura was the most beautiful girl he knew, even before when he come paired her to Tenten. Yet now he could never think Tenten as pretty and no better than Sakura.

Tenten was just as beautiful. She was just more tomboyish and preferred natural looks over putting make-up on. Lee nodded to himself. Though he got the same feeling he got for Sakura for Tenten now. He didn't really understand it anymore. Lee then hit the stump more intensely as he thought of Sakura then of Tenten. His mind just couldn't make up who he liked more and who he thought was better. Lee abruptly stopped training when he sensed his sensei and Neji coming with full speed. He looked to his right where Gai sensei appeared with Neji behind him. Lee grinned at them but then realized that someone was missing.

"Gai-sensei, where's Tenten?" Lee asked as he looked around hoping it wasn't just another prank. Tenten a couple of weeks ago came late and did a prank on Lee. He looked behind himself but still no sign of her. Lee looked at his sensei and saw distress upon his face.

"Lee, Tenten ran away." Gai said with a frown. Lee looked surprised at first then in his heart felt upset. Why would she leave like this? Leave everyone behind.

"Did she leave anything behind?" Lee questioned Neji nodded and handed him a note. Lee looked at the note:

_Dear Gai-sensei, Neji, and Lee..._

_If your reading this then that means that I am gone by now. I decided to leave seeing as it felt like no one was here for me. Gai-sensei spent most of his time with Lee, Neji with himself, and Lee with...Sakura. I just don't feel like I am really apart of this team. I'm very sorry about all this. I guess this is...good-bye..._

_Love, Tenten..._

Lee read it over again and stopped when it came to him. He read over the part 'and Lee with...Sakura.' Lee wasn't too sure but he knew that the reason she left was of more his fault. Yet he still wasn't sure. Lee looked at Neji and Gai once he was done reading the note.

"Have you shown this to the Hokage?" Gai nodded.

"She wanted us to go look for her. If we don't find her within 4 hours starting now, they will send out other teams. I really don't want to burden anyone with this so we better hurry and go." Lee and Neji nodded and they all bolted out of Konoha in lighting speed.

Tenten woke up with the sun blazing in her eyes. She got far as she ran through the night. At around 5 in the morning she fell asleep on a tree branch. Tenten looked around. She knew she was 34 miles away from Konoha, but she needed to be farther. Tenten stood up and stretched her arms and legs. She needed to get going and fast. Gai-sensei, Neji, and Lee probably already knew she left and were mostlightly looking for her right now. Tenten then leaped from the branch to another. She kept at a good speed, not too fast or slow. Just right so she wouldn't be found so fast.

She find herself thinking of Lee. What he probably thought when he read the note. What he thought of her now. _'He probably thinks of me as a quitter...that's what I am. A quitter, nothing more and nothing less...' _Tenten thought to herself sadly. She leaped faster as if trying to run away from her thoughts as well as everyone else. It was really sad. She never thought she would ever do something like this. Tenten always stuck it out, yet now. Now it was just too much pain and sorrow for her to fight against it. She was on her own for now on. No matter how much her heart told her that it was wrong and stupid...

Lee frown to himself. He never thought she could move so fast. Gai, Neji, and Lee went separate ways making it faster for them to find her. Neji went south of her house, Gai went west and Lee went north. For some reason unknown to Lee, but it felt like she went this way. She would be heading to the desert, that was where you would be lead to if you stayed north. Lee moved quickly trying to pick up her trail. So far he hadn't found much but a few broken twigs from someone moving fast. He mind moved to Tenten when he thought of the little clues he found.

'_Why did she leave? We were always there for her, weren't we? Was it my fault? Was it Neji's or Gai-sensei's fault? Tenten where are you?...' _Lee's pace quicken as he thought of terrible things that could have happen to her. His heart beat moved faster which caused him to move faster. He needed to find her, he needed to know if she was okay. He needed her there beside him with the rest of the team. He needed her to be with him.

Lee stopped once that thought came to him. What was he talking about? He needed her? Was that really true? Lee then thought to himself. Maybe he did. He really couldn't think of life with out her in it. And when he did it hurt him. He felt a pang surge through his heart. It was something he had never felt before. What did it mean? Lee felt so naive to this strange feeling. He then quickly moved his legs at an even faster pace. A pace he didn't knew he had. _'Tenten...I need you...'_

Tenten stopped when her stomach growled. It had been 2 hours since she had awaken and then took off again. She did bring a bottle of water but didn't really think about food. It totally slipped her mind and now she was regretting it.

"Damnnit! I can be so thick-headed sometimes!" Tenten cursed to herself in rage. Since she had been running her thoughts kept going to Lee and Sakura. How perfect they were together and how everyone thought they should be together. They never knew of her feelings and if they did, they did show it or thought much to it. She had to admit Sakura was pretty, no beautiful and perfect while herself. She was just pretty and ordinary. She hated that. Tenten couldn't help but hate Sakura for everything.

For her getting Lee. For her being top medic nin. For her getting to work with her idol. For her being the best and...being the greatest. Tenten stopped and frown deeply. She could never be anything special. She was just normal. Nothing special about her. Just Tenten, nothing else but that. No wonder Lee fell for Sakura and not her. Who would want to be with someone like her. She was impatient, rude, mean, and anger driven. While Sakura was nice, sweet, innocence, happy, and care-free. There wasn't much competition there. Sakura would win everytime.

"Lee! Why didn't you notice me? Why don't you love me?" Her heart felt a sharp pain run through it. Tenten placed her hand upon her heart holding it tightly. Tears started to fly from her brown eyes as she slowly started to break down. Tenten jumped to the ground and dropped to her knees. Life seemed to stop and everything was silent to her. Tenten's breathing came out harder and strangled. She had to literally force herself to breath. _'Lee...I need you...' _

Lee stopped for a second. He thought he heard someone shout out his name. Lee listened again but there was no more indication of sound. He then ran to the direction he heard his name being called out. For some reason Lee could have sworn that was Tenten's voice, but he had to make sure. The voice didn't sound like it needed help it was more like sorrow and distress. Lee leaped from one branch to the other with quick movements.

He soon came upon a clearing where he heard someone sobbing. He knew he should be looking for Tenten and not helping someone else but his heart was just too pure and good for him to do that. Lee walked over to a crouched person on their knees crying. The outfit seemed very familiar and the hair style. It then hit Lee. It was Tenten.

"Tenten?" Lee questioned in an unsure voice. He never saw Tenten cry. Hell, he never knew she could. But there she was crying her heart out in pain. Tenten tensed at the sound of her name. _'Oh god its him. How did he find me? What am I gonna do now? What do I say?' _Tenten held her face in her hands as these thoughts ran through her head. Lee crouched down beside her as he tried to look at her face but it was buried within her hands and knees.

"Tenten, what's wrong?" Lee placed his hand on her shoulder and felt her get stiff. He didn't understand what was wrong, and it didn't seem like she was gonna tell him. Tenten shook her head to him and looked away. Lee frowned.

"Look Tenten, I have spent half of my day worrying about you and feeling scared that something bad might have happened. Please just tell me what's wrong and why you left?" Tenten finally looked into his eyes. They pleaded her to tell him. His face was into a worried look mixed with sadness. Lee looked into her eyes. She seemed very upset, her eyes were red from crying and her breathing came in ruff.

"It doesn't matter." Tenten then stood up quickly and went to take off again. She was about to jump away when Lee grabbed her wrist and yanked her back. Tenten turned around and crashed into his hard chest. She couldn't take it anymore. Tenten tried to pull away from him but he was so much stronger than herself. Lee kept an iron grip on her wrist and watched her struggle with a stern look. He was not happy that she didn't want to confide in him.

"Tenten I am not going to let you go until you tell me your problem. Either that or I will drag you to Konoha and force you to tell Gai-sensei your problem instead." Lee was very serious and Tenten knew it. She stopped and looked down. She hadn't realized that struggling against him would hurt his feelings.

"I'm sorry." Lee nodded and smiled to her.

"Please tell me what's wrong. I will try my best to help you solve it and work through it." Lee held her hand to his. She blushed lightly from the gesture and stared up to his eyes. She didn't know what to say. How do you tell your crush that you left because he loved someone else.

"Lee..." Tenten pulled away from him and closed her her arms around her with her back to him. "I felt alone when I was around everyone. It didn't seem like anyone was there for me. Neji didn't seem to care at all, Gai-sensei had his little fights with Kakashi and then you...you were always with Sakura." Lee felt a certain rage within her when she said Sakura. He thought about it hard for a second thinking. That's when it hit him.

"Your jealous of Sakura aren't you?" Lee stated it more but still asked. Tenten blushed hard.

"N-No...I am not! Why would I be jealous of her?" Tenten glared heatedly at the tree in front of her. She wished that she could burn holes within the tree.

"Because, she's a great medic nin, she works under your idol, and...she has my attention." Lee concluded. Tenten froze when he said the last part. Everything he mentioned was true. She was jealous of her. It pissed her off so badly and hurt her so much. Tenten wanted more than anything to beat the shit out of Sakura for taking everything.

"What makes you think I care?" Tenten questioned him. She wanted to know what he thought about this whole thing. Lee walked up to Tenten and wrapped his arms around her. Tenten was breathless when he did this. He pulled her tightly to his chest. She felt his breath on the back of her neck.

"Because you want to be the best, the greatest like your idol." Tenten stiffen and Lee knew he hit the spot.

"Tenten it took me so long to realized this. There is a huge difference between being the best and being your best. Sakura is being her best, just like you are. You shouldn't feel pressured into trying to be something your not. Your great just the way you are." Lee looked down to the ground.

"You do care. You care because...you love me." Lee set his chin on top of her head. Tenten felt tears roll down her cheeks. The real question is...does he feel the same way?

"What about you?" Tenten finally said the worst question in the world. He didn't want to say it because she knew that he didn't feel that way about her. Lee's hands gently rubbed her arms.

"I wasn't sure what I felt for you before all this. I always thought of you as my friend, but now...now that you tried to run away because of me. Run away because of Sakura. I realized that I couldn't live life without you. Tenten...I think I...love you too." Lee admitted and waited for what she would say. Tenten blinked and looked down. He felt hurt because she ran away from him. Tenten wasn't sure what to say really.

"Do you truly mean that?" She asked in a pained voice. Lee nodded his head and turned her to face him.

"Yes, I do mean that. More than anything in this world. I just wish I knew this earlier." Tenten smiled lightly. She still was convinced that he would leave Sakura for her. Lee saw that so he did what he thought was the best.

Lee leaned in to her face. Tenten blushed deep red. Lee placed his forehead against hers and rubbed his nose to hers. She smiled more and Lee grinned. He then looked down to her lips and back to her eyes. Tenten did the same and they both leaned in. Lee felt his heart move quickly though the moment felt like it took forever. His lips then meant hers. He kissed her softly and gently. Tenten leaned up to deepen the kiss. Lee's hands moved down her arms to her hips. He hooked his thumbs in her capri pants and rubbed the skin there.

Tenten moaned softly and moved her hands from his forearms to his hair. His hair that flared out was soft in her grasp. Lee smiled against her lips and pulled her even close if possible. Lee felt daring and licked her lips with his tongue. Tenten was surprised but opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to enter. Lee licked her walls of her mouth and intertwined his tongue with hers. Tenten pushed her tongue into his mouth doing the same thing to him. She heard Lee moan himself and smiled even more.

Lee then broke away from her but kissed her lips lightly before pulling back completely. Tenten couldn't believe it. Her first kiss with the boy of her dreams. They both were breathing hard but it didn't matter to them. Lee grinned full heartedly at her.

"Let's go home." And with that Lee and Tenten jumped from tree to tree, hands holding and fingers intertwined together. Tenten finally realized that he did care, that maybe it wasn't so bad that it took her 3 years to love him. Just 3 years...

**yeah man its done...so what did ya ppl think... I thought it was pretty good...really cute actually...but I wanna know what you think so please review and tell me what you think...and be looking out of my story that will be coming out very soon...I'm out...**

**LostsoulofRegret**


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